Morning News Round-Up -- 2.22.10: A Very Luge Monday...

As one local plan crash continues to be investigated... another plane crash with local ties hits the news. This one left from San Carlos and ended in a crash outside of Yosemite. Albert Halluin, a Silicon Valley super lawyer and his fiance died during Friday night's flight.

Onto a lot less serious stuff...

Monday = Sue Lempert in the Daily Journal: Supervisor Mark Church's decision to run for Warren Slocum's soon-to-vacated office means that Church's seat will be open (if Church wins) and folks are lining up -- Dave Pine (San Mateo Union High School District Board), Marc Hershman (former Millbrae Mayor), Gina Papan (Millbrae Council), Ann Keighan (Burlingame Council), etc., etc., etc. Watch Dog is starting the Sue Lempert for Supervisor rumor right here, even though she denies it in her column...

Even though the financing for the Mirabella project in Foster City seems to be slipping away, the Foster City (City) Council seems to be hanging on to the idea and the project... Meanwhile, we can only imagine the good folks at the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District are getting excited about the prospects of the land for a new school...

Here's something new for Atherton... the City Manager and Police Chief are actually meeting with the public on Monday evening. Public outreach? Listening to the public? Being open about how thing run in town? Perhaps there won't be anymore hidden, expensive settlements or illegal fees given back to developers. Perhaps, but not likely...

The County Times wrote on Saturday about a "surprise deficit" that will force cuts in Belmont... how can such a thing be a surprise? Hasn't anyone noticed the global recession in Belmont? Perhaps not...

Not a surprise deficit, but not exactly great either, the County will eliminate 64 unfilled positions. If your resume is in the County hopper, forget about it...

Just as one local School District (Sequoia Union High School District) prepares to say goodbye to their Superintendent (Pat Gemma) another (San Carlos School District) signed their Superintendent (Craig Baker) on through 2012-13...

Instead of hiring employees to do code enforcement work, Redwood City is looking for volunteer snitches... seriously.

Here's a predictable headline from the County Times: High-Speed rail meeting in Menlo Park gets heated. Y'think?

Mountain lion. Portola Valley. Watch your dogs...

For those of you waiting anxiously for the Half Moon Bay "Rock the Block" party in 2010... you might have to wait until 2011, or never. The 2010 Rock the Block celebration got canceled due to lack of sponsors...

Morning News Round-Up -- 12.09.08: Impervious Eye Glasses for Democracy...

In September, the proposed Everest Charter School (modeled after the Summit Charter School) was denied its Charter by the Board of the Sequoia Union High School District. Everest's "appeals board" was the County Office of Education. Well, the County Board just said no too. Sequoia Union High School District Superintendent summed up his opposition, which actually sums up most districts' opposition to Charter Schools, this way:

“If public schools unite society, then this particular charter school moves us in the opposite direction. … Don’t take from the many to give to the few. If you approve this charter, some families may get what they want, but many will not get what they need...”

Michelle Durand at the Daily Journal talks about giving during this season...specifically, eye glasses.

Following up on a series of stories about Jerry Hill's open Supervisor's seat, Dave Pine of the San Mateo Union High School District Board, chimes in on the Op-Ed pages of the Daily Journal. He is pushing for an election...because...well...we live in a democracy...

In May, property owners in Burlingame will get a ballot in the mail. They will be voting on a parcel tax on the property they own based on "impervious square footage"...Impervios square footage you ask? Stuff that doesn't absorb water. The tax, which needs a simple majority to pass, will go to storm drains. Watch Dog will write more about this issue later, as soon as we measure our own impervious square footage...

The composting facility in Palo Alto has a stinky past, according to a new report. Most notably, they aren't great at "preventing or controlling fires." That is only mildly important...